Blinn names new Dean of Technical & Community Education

Anderson brings more than 15 years of experience developing quality programs that meet local training needs

March 22, 2017

Blinn College has named a veteran educator with more than 15 years of workforce training leadership experience its new Dean of Technical & Community Education.

Jay Anderson comes to Blinn College from Baker College in Cadillac, Mich., where he served as director for the Center of Applied Technology & Training. He previously served as the Process Technology Program Director and Department Head for the Department of Applied Technology & Innovation at River Parishes Community College. He also has served as Dean and Assistant Dean of Career and Continuing Education at Delta College and Director of Technical Training at Mid Michigan Community College.

In each of these roles, Anderson has partnered with stakeholders to assess local career and technical training needs, and used that input to develop new credit, non-credit, and customized workforce programs.

“I look forward to working with business leaders throughout Blinn’s service area to ensure that we continue to meet the constantly evolving workforce needs of our local communities,” he said.

Anderson also has experience as a manufacturing systems coordinator, quality assurance engineer, quality technician and flexible machining cell operator, prevention/training specialist, and a training and development job coach.

Anderson holds a Master of Arts from Central Michigan University, a Bachelor of Science from Northern Michigan University, and an Associate of Arts from Bay de Noc Community College.

Blinn College offers workforce and technical training on its campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. By the end of the academic year, Blinn will offer training programs for 97 percent of the high-skill, high-demand occupations identified in Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley’s October 2016 Targeted Occupations List. Blinn’s current workforce training offerings include training for all seven Targeted Occupations with an hourly wage of $30 or more, and the 10 positions with the most job openings each year, totaling 550 annual positions.

In addition to its certificate and skills upgrade courses, Blinn partners with the Texas Workforce Commission and local businesses to obtain Skills Development Fund grants for businesses with more than 100 employees and Skills For Small Business grants for businesses with fewer than 100 employees. These grants can be used by local businesses to fund customized safety and skills training programs designed to meet industry-specific needs.

In December, Blinn and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) announced a new Memorandum of Understanding outlining their partnership to meet Brazos County’s growing demand for workforce training. Per the agreement, TEEX and Blinn are working together to provide training for the targeted occupations identified specifically by the Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley Board and as confirmed by each institution’s market research related to training needs in the Brazos Valley.

The partnership includes workforce training at the RELLIS Campus, where Blinn will partner with other organizations and institutions, including high-end, innovative, private research and development companies, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), and TEEX. Blinn expects to break ground at RELLIS in March 2017 and complete construction in time for the Fall 2018 semester.

Blinn also is expanding its A.W. Hodde, Jr. Technical Education Center in Brenham thanks to a $1.35 million grant from U.S. Economic Development Administration obtained in partnership with the Brenham Economic Development Foundation. The Brenham Community Development Corporation, Washington County commissioners, and local businesses also have provided funding and support for the project.

Using this new space, Blinn will develop new programs to support the high-skill/high-growth occupations in the region, including industrial machinery mechanics, commercial truck driving, and heavy equipment operation. To support truck drivers and heavy equipment operators, a program in diesel engine mechanics also will be developed.

For more information regarding Blinn’s Division of Technical & Community Education, including a schedule of upcoming courses, visit www.blinn.edu/workforce.